


never meant to make you bleed

by annakaashi



Series: hq halloweek 2018 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Angst, Assassins & Hitmen, Bittersweet Ending, Dark Magic, Day 1: Magic, Drinking, Elves, M/M, Magic, Mentioned Bokuto Koutarou, Mentioned Kozume Kenma, Reincarnation, Temporary Character Death, Werecats, haikyuu halloweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 02:11:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16399424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annakaashi/pseuds/annakaashi
Summary: He bows, and the leader starts speaking. “Akaashi, I have a job for you. We’ve discovered a magician using black magic, and the Council of Magical Folks wants him exterminated. I’ve offered your services to the Council, since you’re the best in our clan with concealing magic, and the most skilled fighter we don’t have deployed. You have a month to kill Kuroo Tetsurou. Dismissed.”or: Kuroo is a werecat using black magic, Akaashi is an elf assassin assigned to kill him, and somehow along the way, they fall in love.written for haikyuu halloweek day one: magic





	never meant to make you bleed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BnessZ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BnessZ/gifts).



> hiiii!  
> so I decided to do haikyuu halloweek because it sounded fun and here we are, I'm writing 3k+ fics instead of studying. Anyways. I hope you will enjoy this fic, you can kind of blame Ness for encouraging me to do those things, but mostly me bc I was the one who thought of it.  
> So, yeah, enjoy!^^

Magic is ordinary. It fills everything, it lives in everyone and everything - the people, the plants, the animals, the rivers and oceans and lakes, it crackles in the air. Everyone can use it. However, different species can master different kinds of magic. Elves are masters in concealing magic, making use of it as law enforcers and spies and assassins for the government. Fairies are the best when it comes to anything nature-related magic, while dwarves excel in transformation magic.

There are a lot of types of magic, but there’s one that’s been forbidden since the beginning: dark, or more commonly, black magic. The properties, limits and the usage of this magic is unknown to the common folk, only the highest ranking members of the society, the Council of Magical Folks know about it. However, every decade, a few people that use dark magic pop up, wreaking havoc wherever they go, scaring people even farther away from using it.

These people get hunted down like animals, not even getting a chance to explain themselves. For these people, the saying’s been always true - hunt, or be hunted.

 

***

 

Keiji gets his order on a gloomy Wednesday. His boss, the head of their clan summoned him to the courtroom last night, and Keiji had no idea why back then.

He bows, and the leader starts speaking. “Akaashi, I have a job for you. We’ve discovered a magician using black magic, and the Council of Magical Folks wants him exterminated. I’ve offered your services to the Council, since you’re the best in our clan with concealing magic, and the most skilled fighter we don’t have deployed. You have a month to kill Kuroo Tetsurou. Dismissed.”

Keiji stands up, bows and turns on his heels, heading back to his room. He needs to prepare for this. Back in his room, he slides open one of the drawers in his dresser, and his collection of knives glint in the crystal lamp’s light.

He needs to plan this carefully, but first, he has to stalk his victim. He needs to know absolutely everything about him.

 

***

 

**_27 days left_ **

 

Keiji is suited in his tight leather outfit, black as ink with a few dark green accents running down the sides of his suit. He’s using his concealing magic to follow his target. Kuroo Tetsurou, from what Keiji gathered in the last three days, is a strange man.

He gets up every day around 3.30am, gets ready for work, eats a few bites, then heads off to the bakery he works at ten minutes later. At 6am, the bakery opens and Kuroo clocks out at noon, after which he does his daily grocery shopping. Getting back home, he has lunch, then sets out again. He goes around town, helping people wherever he can. He eats dinner with one of his friends, then back home again, then goes to sleep.

And here’s the part Keiji finds strange. He hasn’t used any black magic, as far as Keiji can tell, and he’s pretty good at detecting dark magic, just like the rest of the elves are. But orders are orders, and he wants to finish this job as quickly as he can.

On the fourth night after getting this assignment, he gets into his suit, strapping a few knives onto his thighs, and a gun into a holster on his hips. He pulls on the hoodie of his suit just in case, but he knows his concealment magic is more than enough. Even a trained eye has to look carefully to see him.

Keiji heads out, shrouded in darkness and silence. His footsteps fall lightly on the pavement, not a sound as his feet hit the asphalt. He climbs up on the fire escape to Kuroo’s apartment, and opens the window without as much as a rattle. He climbs inside, and goes to Kuroo’s room.

The door is wide open, and Keiji wonders how can Kuroo sleep so peacefully. Keiji always, always closes his door when sleeping, sometimes even goes as far as to lock them. He doesn’t trust people to not harm him in his most vulnerable state.

As he walks up to the bed, he unsheathes his knife with a faint shink, metal glinting in the pale moonlight mixing with the warm glow of the streetlamps outside filtering in through the blinds. The lump on the bed doesn’t move, except for the steady fall and rise of Kuroo breathing. Well, he won’t breathe for any longer, once Keiji’s done with him.

Just as he’s ready to strike, a hand shoots out from under the covers, stopping his hand midair. In his surprise, he drops the knife, but catches it with his left hand, trying to strike again. This time, he gets a forceful kick to the stomach. He flies back, landing on his back as all air leaves his lungs. His knife falls out of his hand, clattering on the floor.

A body lands on his, warm hands pinning down his arms as a knee digs into his chest. He looks up, and sees Kuroo on top of him. He’s grinning, wild and predatory, his teeth glinting a brilliant white, despite the darkness. His eyes seem to glow in the dark. Keiji’s eyes widen in realization.

“You’re a werecat.”

The grin on Kuroo’s face becomes a smug smirk. “Bingo, Angel Face. I’d ask what you are, but your pointy ears and green eyes give it away.”

With a sigh, Keiji gives in and relaxes his muscles. It’s no use, werecats are stronger than elves, and can see through their concealing magic. He has to think of a new plan to kill Kuroo.

 

***

 

**_23 days left_ **

 

In the next few days, Keiji lays low, only observing Kuroo from a distance. He still hasn’t come up with another plan, and his time is running out. His plan on observing Kuroo for another one or two days is thwarted when Kuroo calls out to him.

“You know, Angel Face, if you want to be close to me you can just ask,” he says, facing away from where Keiji is hiding. He suddenly turns, his eyes boring into Keiji’s, and Keiji finds himself catching his breath.

Kuroo continues with a playful smirk. “Despite what people think of werecats, we don’t bite,” he says, then his smile becomes downright predatory. “Unless you want me to bite you.”

Keiji gets so flustered that he accidentally drops his concealment. It hasn’t happened in the last 16 years, and at 24 he’s pretty confident in his abilities. Then why does this one werecat can get to him so much?

“Kuroo-san,” he breathes out, but his thoughts get all jumbled and he just… doesn’t know what to say.

As it seems, it’s the worst possible thing Keiji could’ve done, because Kuroo just looks amused. “What, cat got your tongue? I haven’t even been near your tongue.”

Keiji lets out a soft whine, and honestly, damn Kuroo Tetsurou and everything he is. Kuroo starts laughing, and it’s nothing Keiji ever imagined. It’s loud, and kind of braying and what surprises Keiji the most, that it’s carefree.

“Man, your reaction! Are you always this easy to get flustered? I never knew elves can whine. I thought that was more of a werewolf thing.”

“I’m leaving,” Keiji says, turning around and walking away.

He doesn’t get very far, because Kuroo catches up with him. He grabs Keiji’s sleeve, effectively halting Keiji in his steps. Keiji shakes his grip off, and continues walking.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that, Angel Face! At least let me buy you a coffee or lunch or something.”

Something in his tone makes Keiji halt. He makes up his mind, and heaves a sigh. “Fine. But don’t make this a regular thing.”

The smile he gets in return is small, but genuine, down to the last little crook in the corner of his eyes.

 

***

 

**_17 days left_ **

 

It became a regular thing. Every day, they’d meet up somewhere and have lunch or a just a coffee. During these outings (because Keiji refuses to call them dates), Keiji learns a lot of small things about Kuroo.

He learns that his best friend is a tengu with owl wings, and that his name is Bokuto Koutarou. He also finds out that he lost his parents when he was younger and was taken in by man, but Kuroo hasn’t told him everything about this particular story, Keiji can feel it. He doesn’t want to pry, it’s not his place to pick on old wounds that may not have healed completely.

He learns that he’s the type of werecat that can turn into his other form at will, but only at night. It kind of explains how he can go out at night without being seen.

He discovers that his favorite food is grilled mackerel and that he’s actually a good cook.

He gets to know his childhood friend, Kozume Kenma, who’s part-fairy part-human.

He finds out that Kuroo’s hair is actually just a very bad case of bed hair, when he once sleeps over after a night out with him and Bokuto. How does he even get a bed hair like that? What position does he sleep in that results in this style? That morning, he watches in horror as Kuroo downs a mug of coffee, black and unsweetened.

He kind of finds himself respecting Kuroo after that.

He also discovers that Kuroo has cat ears all day around when he steps out of the shower on the same morning. He only has sweatpants on that hang low on his hips, and a few drops of water slide down his chest. Keiji watches their paths, down Kuroo’s defined abs. He tears his eyes away from him, and looks up to his head, where the two black, fluffy cat ears poke out. His messy hair hides them well when it’s not wet, blending in with the texture of his hair. He wonders if his hair is as soft as his ears. He asks Kuroo about them, and he says that his mother has been the type of werecats that have some features all day around, and his cat ears never disappear.

Keiji would be lying if he said he didn’t find him cute (and maybe hot, but Keiji is reluctant to even think about that) and that he wanted to run his fingers through his hair and get a feel for the ears. Just to check them if they feel as soft as they look. And Keiji wasn’t raised as a liar.

 

As the days go by, somehow he finds himself getting more and more drawn in by the other man. He knows that he shouldn’t get too close. He knows that it will just only hurt him in the end. But his treacherous heart decides otherwise.

At night, when he’s getting ready for bed, he gets a text message from an unknown number. It says _‘Are you getting closer to eliminate the target?’_. He sends a reply, just a curt _yes_ , but he hopes it’s enough.

He feels more and more reluctant to kill Kuroo.

 

***

 

**_10 days left_ **

 

That night, Keiji follows Kuroo after he sneaks out in his cat form. It’s kind of hard to follow him, a black cat in the dead of night, but Keiji manages somehow.

Kuroo transforms back in a dark alley, his black clothes camouflaging him in the darkness. Luckily, he doesn’t notice - or maybe he just doesn’t acknowledge - Keiji, so he follows Kuroo from a distance.

Kuroo walks up to a shop, and peers in. From this distance, Keiji can’t see his face, but his stance goes stiff. He storms into the shop, and Keiji slowly inches closer, to get a better look at the things going on inside.

He gets there only to see black tendrils of magic reaching out to a fat man in an expensive looking suit. The man collapses, his eyes wide and frozen in fear, his face white as sheet. More tendrils coil from Kuroo’s hands, and they start to envelope the man. When Keiji can’t see the man anymore, the cocoon closes, and disappears, along with the man inside it.

Kuroo says something to the shop owner (or at least Keiji thinks he’s the owner), then bows and turns on his heels, heading out of the shop. His steps are long, forceful, as if he’s running away from the bad atmosphere. He doesn’t seem to notice Keiji, his eyes frantic and distraught.

Keiji runs after him, calling his name. Kuroo slows down, but doesn’t stop. Now that Keiji’s closer, he can see Kuroo’s hands trembling slightly. An idea pops into Keiji’s head.

“Wait here for a second,” he says, then runs off to find a shop.

When he has what he wanted to get, he goes back to Kuroo, standing exactly how Keiji left him. Kuroo looks at him questioningly, quirking a brow at him. Keiji lifts the bottle in his hand.

“We’re getting drunk tonight.”

 

They go back to Kuroo’s apartment, and go up to the roof. The wind that was just a breeze down in the streets is now harsh and cold, ruffling Keiji’s locks. They sit down near the door, their backs to the wall. Keiji uncorks the bottle of vodka, and passes it to Kuroo, who takes a swig immediately.

Keiji doesn’t push him to talk, he knows Kuroo will talk to him when he’s ready. They sit in silence for a while, watching the sky. The lights of the city illuminate the night sky, tainting it a greyish-orange color and hiding the stars. The full moon shines down on them, shrouding the rooftop in cold, silver light. They pass the bottle without a word, silence stretching between them.

“You know,” Kuroo speaks at last, his voice hoarse and gruff. He takes another sip before passing the bottle to Keiji. “I had a fucking shitty childhood. I’m actually surprised that I’m still a functional being and not a raging psychopath.” The little laugh he lets out is cold and humorless.

He starts to tell Keiji about his childhood. He tells Keiji that his parents used to own a little shop that sold herbs in the outskirts of Tokyo. It was quiet, peaceful and nothing ever really happened, just the regulars coming in every 2-3 days. There were occasions where new people wandered in, but those weren’t regular things. Then, on a sunny Saturday morning, the peace was disrupted and Kuroo’s parents were killed in a robbery. Kuroo was still up in the flat when he heard the gunshots, blood freezing in his veins.

After that, he had to go to an orphanage, as his grandparents died before the incident happened, and he couldn’t stay without a guardian at 10 years old. However, because he was a shy and withdrawn kid back then, he was picked on quite a lot, and life became harsh for Kuroo there. A year later, he gathered the few belongings he had into a backpack, and snuck out of the orphanage without ever looking back.

The streets were cold and harsh. The nights were freezing, he barely had anything to eat, and he felt lost and alone, but he never, ever wanted to go back to the orphanage. He found shelter in a dimly lit alley, at the back of a restaurant. He settled down next to door, some warmth seeping out of the door, but it was still freezing cold, and the rain didn’t help. Kuroo curled into himself, hugging his knees to his chest, making himself as small as possible.

As he sat there, he felt hopelessness and loneliness sinking in, burying themselves into his bones, lighting his heart on fire with anguish. His chest squeezed, and the tears started rolling down his cheeks involuntarily. He didn’t know how long he had been crying, tears mixing with the raindrops running down his face. He only noticed a pair of shoes in front of him, and the sudden feeling of the rain stopping. He looked up, only to see a man smiling down at him. The man extended a hand towards him, and said _‘Come with me, you’ll get sick if you stay out here.’_ Kuroo, still young and naive, despite everything he went through, he accepted the extended hand, and went with the man.

A couple of years passed by, and Kuroo was learning the ropes of using magic. He became really good at it, even winning sometimes when he sparred against his guardian. But even this peace couldn’t last for long. Just a few weeks after he turned 20, a group of Specially Trained and Armed soldiers raided the place, taking his guardian with them. He never saw his guardian ever again.

By the time Kuroo finishes his story, the bottle is almost empty, just like Kuroo’s gaze as he stares ahead.

“That’s why I hate authorities, they took what I thought was finally constant in my life. By the time I realized what that fucker of a guardian did to me, it was too late. My magical core was too corrupted.” He sighs, and continues talking. “I don’t like to use it, but I hate it more when people bully others just because they think they’re superior. Who the fuck cares if they’re half-breed? I’ve met half-breeds who have more kindness in their pinky than a pure-breed in their whole body. That’s why I stood up to that shopkeeper. I didn’t want to kill that man but I can’t turn away from dark magic, it’s the only kind I know.”

His breath hitches, and it takes Keiji a moment to realize that he’s crying. He drapes an arm over Kuroo’s shoulder, bringing him closer. Kuroo buries his face in Keiji’s shoulder, clutching his shirt.

“I just want everything to stop,” he mutters.

Keiji’s heart breaks upon hearing those words. He pats Kuroo’s head, trying to console him. “It’ll be okay,” he says, guilt eating at him. He knows he has to kill Kuroo, but his resolve is crumbling into pieces, scattering in the wind.

His fingers card through Kuroo’s unbelievably soft hair. “It’ll be okay. Somehow, it will be okay. _You_ will be okay,” he whispers.

 

***

 

**_3 days left_ **

 

A week after Kuroo’s breakdown, Keiji still hasn’t come up with a plan that doesn’t involve killing Kuroo. He confessed to Kuroo that he was assigned to kill him after the night on the rooftop, and to his surprise, Kuroo just laughed and answered that he already knew that.

He stayed up as late as he could without collapsing, and even then the sleep he got was fitful and not at all relaxing. The new direction their relationship has gone wasn’t helping him either.

“Keiji, c’mon, go to sleep already,” Tetsurou says, poking his side.

Keiji bats his hand away, irritated. “Tetsurou, I can’t sleep. I don’t know how to get out of this situation, and I’ve thought of several possible outcomes and each of them is worse than the previous one. I can’t lose you, not when I found you.”

Tetsurou’s blueish-grey eyes soften as he cups Keiji’s face in his hands. “Keiji. We both know it’s unavoidable at this point. Believe me, I don’t want this to happen either, but apparently that’s what was written for us in the Book of Fates. I’d rather spend this little time I have left with you pleasantly than fearing for what’s going to happen. It’s gonna happen either way, so let’s just say _‘fuck it all’_ and enjoy these days left.”

Keiji leans into his touch, his eyes closing in contentment. “All right.”

 

***

 

**_On that day_ **

 

The last three days with Tetsurou has been a blessing, but the clouds were gathering over their heads. Keiji’s one month deadline is up today, and he feels unprepared. He doesn’t want to do this, he wants to keep on living a happy, blissful and oblivious life in a bubble with Tetsurou, far away from the prying eyes and harshness of real life.

They spend the day cuddling, whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, trying to reassure the other.

Sunset arrives way too soon, and Keiji’s chest tightens. He doesn’t want to do this.

“Tetsurou,” Tetsurou hums, not looking at Keiji. Keiji continues, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to do this.”

Tetsurou looks at him, his expression forlorn. “Keiji, I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me. I have to bear the consequences of my actions.”

“But you were forced! You had no say in what branch of magic you want to use! You’re innocent!”

“Keiji,” Tetsurou says, his voice soft as he steps towards Keiji. ”You know I’m not innocent. Yes, I may have not chosen this willingly, but I still could’ve just not use it. I did use it, so I’m going to face whatever is coming at me.”

“I don’t want you to go,” Keiji says, his voice shaking, tears starting to run down his face.

“Keiji, I promise you we will meet again,” he says with a smile, swiping his thumbs over Keiji’s cheeks, wiping his tears away.

 

The next hour finds Keiji staring at Tetsurou, his vision blurry with tears. Tetsurou smiles at him sadly.

The sound of a gun being armed.

“I love you Keiji.”

The gun going off. Air catching in throat. An anguished sob escaping.

 

***

 

**_3 weeks after_ **

 

Keiji’s walking home after a grueling day of training and doing paperwork when he hears the sound of a cat, its pitiful meowing reaching his ears. For a reason, he feels compelled to follow the sound. Never one to not go with his gut feeling, he sets off to the dimly lit alley.

The meowing gets closer, and in a small box next to the garbage cans, he finds a tiny black kitten.

“Poor kitten, who left you here?” He asks the kitten, as if it could reply to him.

The meowing immediately stops, and the kitten stumbles towards Keiji. Keiji’s surprised by the immediate response he got from the cat. He lifts the cat up, and in the light of the street lamp, he can see the blueish-grey color if its eyes.

The familiarity and resemblance is so striking that Keiji almost drops the poor cat.

A strange feeling that he wouldn’t call relief surges through him, and despite tears running down his cheeks, his smile is so bright it could rival the sun itself.

A wet chuckle escapes his lips. “We _did_ meet again, didn’t we?”

**Author's Note:**

> if you wanna talk to me, you can do it here:  
> [tumblr ](annakashi.tumblr.com)  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/annakaashi)
> 
> ps. kudos and comments are very much appreciated<3


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